Politics 🗳️ NZ Politics

[wizard of Tauranga]

In the first year of former Labour Prime Minister Helen Clark’s tenure as Prime Minister, public sector FTEs employees stood at just 29,070, less than half its current level. Since then, New Zealand’s population has grown 37 per cent from 3.8 million to 5.2 million people. Applying that escalator to the public service would result in total FTEs of only slightly under 40,000 – we currently have 63,000 TFE

The country functioned pretty well a little over two decades ago. Indeed, on some measures – most notably educational outcomes as measured by the international league tables – New Zealand in the year 2000 outperformed New Zealand today. One wonders how the 599 officials in the Ministry of Education at that time managed to outperform the ministry’s 4311 staff today.

Roger Partridge: Public service cuts needed to help rein in government spending

OPINION: Where Finance Minister needs to start.

www.nzherald.co.nz

 

[MrFrankWhite]

operate and got the consequences… fuck around and find out… just like Yemen is playing with now.

Talib’s and Afghan doing just fine. They sailed up the global power index thanks to billions in arms left by US.

2/3 of the US fleet retreated from the gulf… Looks like Houthis doing okay too.

You can’t attack foreign vessels, even in your own waters without consequences.

Houthis say otherwise. Foreign nations are refusing to intervene because US only wants to protect Israeli ships.

That’s an act of war vs seizing assets which is more a sanction.

US had very specifically spelled out it’s not at war with Yemen / Houthis so that’s demonstrably false.

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

Talib’s and Afghan doing just fine. They sailed up the global power index thanks to billions in arms left by US.

2/3 of the US fleet retreated from the gulf… Looks like Houthis doing okay too.

Houthis say otherwise. Foreign nations are refusing to intervene because US only wants to protect Israeli ships.

US had very specifically spelled out it’s not at war with Yemen / Houthis so that’s demonstrably false.

Ok… so the news we’re sending 6 troops for active combat is just false reporting?

Foreign nations aren’t intervening? What’s the left complaining about then?

 

[John Nick]

NZ First's Associate Health Minister Casey Costello has a lot of ideas about the regulation of tobacco - many them will be controversial.​

Official documents suggest a NZ First minister wants to freeze excise tax on cigarettes - but she denies it

Instead of increasing each year with inflation, the tax on cigarettes would be frozen for three years under a plan suggested by Associate Health Minister Casey Costello.

www.rnz.co.nz

Everytime this subject is mentioned there's always a hint of the Taxpayer's Union
And again we have the same.

 

[defensivebomb]

Everytime this subject is mentioned there's always a hint of the Taxpayer's Union
And again we have the same.

It’s pretty 80s eh. Bringing back the cigarettes

 

[John Nick]

It’s pretty 80s eh. Bringing back the cigarettes

All about so called tax relief for the "squeezed middle ".
Sounds familiar

 

[Worried2Death]

Everytime this subject is mentioned there's always a hint of the Taxpayer's Union
And again we have the same.

Need an atlas to find the hidden hands behind this outfit if you know what I mean, I think you do...

 

[MrFrankWhite]

Ok… so the news we’re sending 6 troops for active combat is just false reporting?

Foreign nations aren’t intervening? What’s the left complaining about then?

Lel if you think 6 NZDF troops is anything but pissing in the wind. No

2/3 of naval strike group withdraws

Euro nations abandon US plan to protect US/Israel ships only

Yemen’s Houthis warn they will target all Israel-bound ships in Red Sea

And the fact you reduce to a left/right problem shows the smallness of your thinking and how easily you can be manipulated. Hilarious though, still yet to meet a kiwi with strong opinions of these groups, who have actually met any of them.

 

[defensivebomb]

this is absolute madness

'They make them. We break them': Crossing designed to last 40yrs ripped up after just one

Apart from the cost of putting it in, what's it costing to remove, says a local.

www.nzherald.co.nz

 

[dean]

this is absolute madness

'They make them. We break them': Crossing designed to last 40yrs ripped up after just one

Apart from the cost of putting it in, what's it costing to remove, says a local.

www.nzherald.co.nz

Whoever decided to rip it up should be fired. Brown is on the right track getting rid of muppets and slashing spending.

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

this is absolute madness

'They make them. We break them': Crossing designed to last 40yrs ripped up after just one

Apart from the cost of putting it in, what's it costing to remove, says a local.

www.nzherald.co.nz

You can see why people get fed up with politics and vote in a Brown or Trump to drain the swamp. The level of incompetence and shielding of that incompetence turns people away from the ‘experts’ and undermines the good stuff they do.

All the left posters that are all for bigger government, centralisation, etc, open your eyes! Govt and council are bloated, directionless and the definition of inefficient.

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

this is absolute madness

'They make them. We break them': Crossing designed to last 40yrs ripped up after just one

Apart from the cost of putting it in, what's it costing to remove, says a local.

www.nzherald.co.nz

If anyone led a stop paying rates protest until some heads rolled over this, then I would be in.

Drain the swamp of our transport engineers who must lead the worst public service in NZ.

And ad for Brown, he talks a good game but why is this incompetence still happening?

 

[Inruin]

If anyone led a stop paying rates protest until some heads rolled over this, then I would be in.

Drain the swamp of our transport engineers who must lead the worst public service in NZ.

And ad for Brown, he talks a good game but why is this incompetence still happening?

Unfortunately it takes time to make changes. And just look back to when he was elected and all the comments made about him. Seems like the tide took a while to turn and now people are starting to wake up to what money has been wasted and where.

 

[miket12]

This crossing situation is a total fiasco.... in Wellington, they build raised crossing using bitumen that last only 10 years but also cost only $40,000 each. AT build raised concrete ones which they say will last forty years but which cost $400,000 each.

If the price was to rise by 50% every ten years when Wellington had to replace theirs, that would still lead to a total cost of just over $250,000 or a saving of $150,000 over what AT would have to pay. Considering what AT have already built (12) and are still to build 17 more, that's over $2.5 mil wasted in the next forty years.

 

[dean]

This crossing situation is a total fiasco.... in Wellington, they build raised crossing using bitumen that last only 10 years but also cost only $40,000 each. AT build raised concrete ones which they say will last forty years but which cost $400,000 each.

If the price was to rise by 50% every ten years when Wellington had to replace theirs, that would still lead to a total cost of just over $250,000 or a saving of $150,000 over what AT would have to pay. Considering what AT have already built (12) and are still to build 17 more, that's over $2.5 mil wasted in the next forty years.

And in the meantime we pay millions in salaries to have these incompetents spend our money.
Recently I was talking to someone I used to do business with, now they hold a senior position with Auckland CC. Told me virtually nothing gets done, lots of meetings etc, a few courses but comes with a thumping salary, not about to leave.

 

[defensivebomb]

Told me virtually nothing gets done, lots of meetings etc, a few courses but comes with a thumping salary, not about to leave.

that's one of the major problems. Why would they ever choose to leave that environment?

 

[dean]

that's one of the major problems. Why would they ever choose to leave that environment?

A huge golden handshake?

 

[John Nick]

A huge golden handshake?

I thought Brown was going to put a halt to all this stuff.Understand it wont happen overnight but jeez..

 

[dean]

I thought Brown was going to put a halt to all this stuff.Understand it wont happen overnight but jeez..

I guess you have to be prepared that the positions are redundant and not rehire. No idea about redundancy provisions in what would be individual contracts, but seeing senior managers would likely sign off on any provisions, they would want to make them fairly standard so as to ensure they were covered if they were shown the door. I would say there would be quite a cost getting rid of staff, but it should happen anyway.
Salaried staff would not be behind Brown, ratepayers a different story.

 

[Inruin]

A huge golden handshake?

Or the pressure of acountibility and scrutiny. Some left of their own accord because they could see the writing on the wall.